Drives and Controls January 2023

January 2023 www.drivesncontrols.com 10 n NEWS SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC has upgraded a site in Leeds where it manufactures low- and medium-voltage products, transforming it into a smart factory. As part of the multi- million-pound upgrade, a new assembly line, test cell and wiring loom machine have been commissioned. The site now has extensive digital capabilities. Together, these enhancements have resulted in a 10% increase in output, a 15% reduction in energy consumption, and improved operating efficiencies and customer service levels. The 18,000m 2 Leeds site, which employs 550 people, has grown significantly in recent years as a result of rising demand for its products. It is Schneider’s second UK location to achieve smart factory status, following the conversion of the company’s Flint plant in North Wales last year. Leeds is also Schneider’s eleventh site globally to benefit from its Smart Factory Programme, which it launched in 2017. “Our smart factory transformation is enabling us to enhance our quality and reliability while maximising our efficiency,” says Laurent Bergier, general manager of the Leeds plant. “We will also continuously benefit from all the analytics of the data we collect to continue to move towards the future of manufacturing. All of those new capabilities are helping us daily to drive efficiency, which is particularly important in the context of rising energy costs, while simultaneously improving customer experience. The modernisation process at Leeds took place in stages over a nine-month period. Each stage included pilot phases followed by deployment of the new technologies. The upgrade has used Schneider’s EcoStruxure software, including its Facility Expert, Resource Advisor and Machine Advisor tools, as well as Aveva’s DLM (discrete lean management) technology. There are plans to install further enhancements including power monitoring systems and operator advisors during 2023. As part of the upgrade, Schneider has also set up an Innovation Hub at the Leeds site, showcasing its Electricity 4.0 technologies. Visitors can interact with these and other technologies (including an augmented operator advisor) via immersive experiences and gain insights into the industries of the future. Schneider is offering site visits and virtual tours of the enhanced Leeds facility. A video about the Leeds plant upgrade can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=I6ivz1MqNbY For a virtual tour of the Innovation Hub, vist: www.se.com/uk/en/work/services/ site-tour/innovation-hub Schneider Electric’s upgraded Leeds plant now functions as a smart factory Smart factory upgrade boosts output at Schneider Electric’s Leeds site by 10% Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 23 7–9 February, 2023 Farnborough, UK The annual show is aimed at people involved in design, engineering production and procurement. It showcases production hardware, components, consumables and technology for a wide range of industries. It also covers sub-contracting services. www.industrysouth.co.uk Hannover Messe 17–21 April, 2023 Hannover, Germany The industrial megashow is expecting to attract around 4,000 exhibitors with the theme for 2023 being Industrial Transformation – Making a Difference, and the partner country being Indonesia. The event will be broken down into seven areas including: Automation, Motion and Drives; Digital Ecosystems; Energy Solutions; Engineered Parts & Solutions; Future Hub; Compressed Air & Vacuum; and Global Business & Markets www.hannovermesse.de/en Talking Industry Live 25 April, 2023 MTC, Coventry A free-to-attend one-day event organised by Talking Industry in partnership with the Manufacturing Technology Centre. The event will include a series of panel discussions, workshops, seminars and an exhibition. Topics being discussed include robotics, automation, digital manufacturing and AI. Attendees will also be offered tours of the MTC, as well as complimentary breakfast and lunch. www.talkingindustry.org/talking-industry-live Manufacturing & Engineering Week 2023 7–8 June, 2023 NEC, Birmingham The event will bring together live and digital events including the Design & Engineering Expo 2023, the Smart Factory Expo (which replaces the earlier Manufacturing Expo) and Maintec, as well as a zone dedicated to the Drives & Controls, AirTech and Fluid Power & Systems shows that the organiser, Nineteen Group, recently acquired from DFA Media. Another acquisition, The Hennick Group, will bring its SME Growth Summit, the Sustainable Manufacturing Digitalisation Summit and the Manufacturing Top 100 Awards. www.mandeweek.co.uk Automation UK / MVC 20-21 June, 2023 CBS Arena, Coventry Automation UK is a new annual exhibition championing the use and development of automation and industrial robots in UK industry. Organised by Bara (the British Automation and Robot Association), it will run alongside the existing Machine Vision Conference (MVC) and exhibition, organised by Ukiva (the UK Industrial Vision Association). Bara and Ukiva are both part of the PPMA (Processing and Packaging Machinery Association). www.automation-uk.co.uk